Budgeting
A surge in COVID-19 cases led to a substantial increase in the demand for related care and testing, adding to expenses, Kaiser says.
Some signs were positive, such as declining COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, but hospitals still have a long journey to recovery.
Healthcare benefits typically represent the largest expense compared to other operating expenses.
UnitedHealth Group attributed Optum's growth to the accelerating expansion of its value-based care delivery initiatives.
The trend is expected to continue this year, with drug spending poised to grow 4 to 6%, driven by increases in utilization, prices and new drugs.
The progress is slow and there are still problem areas, such as discharges, patient days and length of stay.
The impact of the Omicron variant has been palpable, as median operating margins remained in the red for a second straight month in February.
Even though case counts are on the decline in much of the country, the White House continues to see a need for federal assistance.
All together, Trinity's net income during the period was $878.1 million, down from $2.7 billion during the same period the prior year.
This spending growth resulted from strong federal support in 2020 and waning support in 2021, the numbers showed.